Upcycled Ballet Flats

I have been loving the look of the “Sway Ballet Flats” from Alohas, and the “Fabiana” mary janes from Nicole Saldana. Though they’re super cute, I know that I’m being influenced by the trend, and idk if either would be a long term shoe for me, so I definitely am not spending that amount on them.

I was looking for a while for a thrifted similar pair, but was having no luck. After scrolling through TikTok for some thrift inspo, I saw a creator with the username of giu.bun upcycling a thrifted pair of mary janes to look like the Nicole Saldana ones. It was such a good idea, and seemed like an accessible diy, so I decided to do it as well!

I purchased these Mary Janes from old navy. They were having a sale, and I think I spent $20 total including shipping. I liked the square toe, and that they seemed slimmer.

To upcycle them, I just ripped the seam where the elastic was, pulled the elastic out, inserted the wax cord into the ripped seam, and sewed it all back together. I had to make sure I wasn’t just seeing around the cord, but sewing the cord as well. I tugged on it throughout to make sure it was secure, and created several (very rough looking) seams to make sure it wouldn’t go anywhere. Once I was completed, I cut the ties to my desired length!

This took maybe 20 mins, and I really like how they came out. I’m super excited to style them with baggy pants and sweaters! The memory foam in the shoe make them super comfy! I think this is a great beginner friendly project, and you can adjust them to your liking. Old navy has these flats in a muted gold and a beige as well, so it’s a super inexpensive way to be a part of the trend, and customize it to your liking :)

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